Thanks, Chris.  I also received your additional $30 to the fund, last
weekend.  Keep up the good work.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou


>From: Chris Sukuna <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [Fwd: Re: Gambia]
>Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 10:15:13 -0400
>
>Hi all,
>
>After reading CPJ's (Committee to Protect Journalists) reaction statement
>regarding the brutal attack against the Independent I wrote to Ann Cooper
>the director and was given an informative response by their Communications
>coordinator Wacuka Mungai to contact WAN (World Association of
>Newspapers).  I just got a response from them and I am forwarding it for
>you all to read.  Ams, mentioned taking some time to write letters and
>perhaps this information will help direct where to write to.  Wacuka also,
>recommended, www.ned.com (National Endowment for Democracy) and this may
>have potential as well.
>
>Perhaps the most crucial bit of info, is the letter written to Jammeh and
>you will see that at the very end of this posting.
>
>God Bless,
>
>Chris Sukuna
>
>
>  Mu-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: Re: Gambia
>From: Aebhric Coleman <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Tue, April 20, 2004 9:32 am
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Dear Christine Sukuna,
>
>Thank you for your recent email to the World Association of Newspapers.
>
>The World Association of Newspapers have been looking closely at the
>situation in Gambia. On 16th April, a letter of protest was sent to the
>Gambian President concerning the arson attack at the Independent
>Newspaper. I enclose a copy for your information. You may also access
>the letter directly on our website:
>http://www.wan-press.org/protests.php3
>
>In addition, we are in the process of contacting the managing editor of
>the Independent in Gambia for an interview in RAP 21 (an initiative of
>WAN : www.rap21.org) to publicize the case.
>
>Concerning practical assistance, my colleagues have suggested that you
>could contact some of the larger newspapers in Senegal, who may be
>willing to print the newspaper at their printing plants until the
>Independent has found another solution. I understand my colleagues have
>already made this suggestion to the Managing Director of the
>Independent, so perhaps this project could be launched as a joint
>initiative.
>
>I hope the above is helpful. If you have any further questions, please
>do not hesitate to contact us.
>
>Best regards,
>
>
>Aebhric Coleman
>Manager, Office of the Director General
>
>World Association of Newspapers
>7, rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire
>75005 Paris
>France
>
>Direct:         + 33-  (0)1 - 47 42 85 11
>Gen Tel:        + 33 - (0)1 - 47 42 85 00
>Fax:    + 33 - (0)1 - 47 42 49 48
>
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>http://www.wan-press.org
>
>
>We have moved!
>As of 1 January 2004, the address of WAN, WAN Training and Events and
>the
>World Editors Forum is 7 Rue Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 75005 Paris, France.
>Our contact numbers remain the same.
>
>
>*  57th World Newspaper Congress,
>     11th World Editors Forum
>     Info Services Expo 2004
>     30 May-2 June 2004
>     Istanbul, Turkey
>
>*  World Forum on Newspaper Strategy
>     30 September-1 October 2004
>     Paris, France
>
>*  Beyond the Printed Word, the World Electronic Publishing Conference
>     3-4 November 2004
>     Prague, Czech Republic
>
>* 2004 Editor and Marketeer Conference & Expo
>     25-26 November 2004
>     Lisbon, Portugal
>
>* 2005 World Newspaper Advertising Conference & Expo
>     24-25 February 2005
>     Rome, Italy
>
>* 6th World Young Reader Conference
>     6-9 March 2005
>     New Delhi, India
>
>* 58th World Newspaper Congress
>     12th World Editors Forum
>     Info Services Expo 2005
>     29 May-2 June 2005
>     Seoul, Korea
>
>
>
>
>
>
>SENT 16th APRIL 2004
>
>His Excellency President Dr Alhaji AJJ Jammeh
>
>Banjul, Gambia
>
>Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>16 April 2004
>
>
>
>Your Excellency,
>
>We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and the
>World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications in 100
>countries, to express our serious concern at an arson attack on the
>printing press of The Independent newspaper.
>
>According to reports, in the early hours of 13 April six armed men
>stormed the building housing the printing press of the privately-owned
>bi-weekly The Independent, in Kanifing, a suburb of Banjul. The men
>fired shots inside the building before dousing equipment with petrol  and
>setting it alight. The attackers also reportedly attempted to lock
>employees inside the burning building. Although all staff members
>escaped, three were injured while doing so.
>
>All of The Independent’s printing equipment, which had only been
>operating for three months, and all copies of that day’s newspaper were
>destroyed in the attack. This is not the first time that The
>Independent, which has been critical of the government, has come under
>attack. In October 2003, three unidentified men set fire to the
>newspaper's main offices, forcing staff to relocate temporarily.
>Despite promises of a police investigation into the October fire, The
>Independent has received no word from authorities about progress in the
>case.
>
>We respectfully remind you that it is the duty of the state to provide
>an environment in which journalists are able to carry out their
>professional duties without fear of intimidation. Such incidents foster
>a climate of fear that inhibits journalistic investigation and can
>promote self-censorship.
>
>   We respectfully call on you to take all necessary steps to ensure that
>the investigation into the arson attack on The Independent is carried
>out in an effective and transparent manner and that those responsible
>are swiftly brought to justice. We urge you to do everything possible  to
>ensure that attacks on the media do not go unpunished and that all
>citizens may exercise their right to freedom of expression without fear
>of intimidation.
>
>We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
>
>Yours sincerely,
>
>Seok Hyun Hong
>
>President
>
>World Association of Newspapers
>
>
>
>Gloria Brown Anderson
>
>President
>
>World Editors Forum
>
>
>
>
>
>cc: Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations
>
>   Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General, UNESCO
>
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